Meet Aragorn!
By David Taehee Lee
The guy’s name is Aragorn. I got the name from The Lord of The Rings: Aragorn, heir of Isildur, king of Gondor is one of the most powerful names I remember from my childhood. The actor, Viggo Mortensen, did an amazing job depicting Aragorn as an exiled royal prince, gracious and steadfast, in the movies. In this all-too-perfect imagery of Aragorn, however, I detected his one weakness: his loneliness. He lamented his inability to share love with the woman of his dreams. Although my loneliness is not like that of Aragorn’s, I sympathize with him in this sense and decided to base my character off myself and give him the noble name of Aragorn.
Aragorn has jet black hair and dark brown eyes. He likes to keep his hair short with a very slight wave, and the front hair hangs down to his eyelashes. He has a long, thin neck that reminds one of a deer, giving him a noble appearance. He is of average height, standing 5’ 9’’. He is neither fat, muscular, nor merely flesh and bone, for he has fine muscles that aren't too large but also aren’t too small; he is generally well-built. He is not exactly an attractive figure, but his appearance gives other people easy opportunities to approach him first. He would have been an eminent presence if only he had been three inches taller…
Despite his above average appearance, Aragorn is not really socially outgoing. The few relationships he has have not been initiated by himself; he rarely approaches strangers. Yeah, he is kind of a shy, introverted guy. But once you get to know him and he feels at ease in your presence, you would find him a kind, enjoyable person. He offers help to the people whom he can trust, but does not ask for help in return. He has a fragile heart, easily hurt by the careless words others absent-mindedly throw at him. He is careful with his choice of words to avoid hurting others.
Ironically, Aragorn likes to have people in his company. Although he is shy to express it, he feels comfort in the presence of friends and family: his greatest fear is being alone and lonely. He endeavors to maintain the few connections he has, calling far-away friends once in a while and trying his best not to disappoint the friends he meets regularly. He likes compliments for the thoughtful things he did but distaste scornful remarks. He stands strong within his intimate circles, but outside, he constantly feels isolated and lonely.
Writing this character sketch, I was surprised to find out how I perceive myself. I always had a vague thought that I feel lonely now and then, but as I developed the image of my character, I gained a deeper understanding of the person who I really am. I found it somewhat more comfortable to be honest about myself by assuming the form of an imaginary character, as if I were merely depicting a fictional person rather than the real me. I truly enjoyed this writing and learned a lot.
